WOW! Are you kidding me? I know I raved about last month's issue, but DC topped themselves in spades with this one. Let's start from the beginning:

-On Deathstroke's order, Bludhaven is turned into a NUCLEAR WASTELAND (in the first "Holy Shit!" moment of the issue) when the Society drops Chemo in the center of the city!-Alexander Luthor provides valuable exposition of his master plan, which amazingingly ties everything from the four big minis together! Alexander's machine is based from the corpse of the long-dead Anti-Monitor. He then posed as Lex Luthor and created the society (Villains United) by tricking them into believing he was creating a mind-wiping machine. He needed to power the machine with individuals from each universe, but he also needed to fuel his tower with the universe's magic (Day of Vengeance), for which Alexander had the Psycho Pirate manipulate Eclipso and the Spectre into their crusade against magic until Shazam's demise. Alexander was also the one who gave Brother Eye sentient life (The OMAC Project) to remap the multiverse and redirect his tower's energy into its new target. Oh, and he also controls the OMAC's, which must be a bitch. And Superboy Prime moved planets around, creating planetary war (The Rann/Thanagar War) and shifting the center of the universe from Oa to where Earth-2's center was, which will be the tower's new target. The result: A new universe, in Alexander Luthor's image.-Breathe. That was a lot to absorb, but it shockingly makes perfect sense.-Earth-2 Superman has second thoughts, but Alexander Luthor plays him like a fiddle to perfection. Earth-2 Supes really is a sap, but you can't help but feel sorry for him.-And here's where it gets REALLY good. Superboy Prime heads to Smallville to replace his counterpart. Connor tries to brush him off, but Prime lands the first blow and the Battle of the Superboys is on.-Booster Gold finds average teenager Jaime Reyes...and finds the Blue Beetle scarab fused to his spine.-The Superboys tear Smallville apart and Superboy Prime gets the advantage, until he kicks Krypto. Connor then hulks up, because you just don't kick a boy's dog. That's just wrong.-Batman recruits Nightwing to help in his mission against the otherworlders. And what's this? Bruce's hard shell finally starts to shed upon the realization that Nightwing is one of the most trusted figures in the DC universe. Their final exchange is very touching.-Connor's still getting his ass handed to him, but he's got an ace up his sleeve. He calls in the Teen Titans, the JSA, and the Doom Patrol all in one swoop.-Detective Crispus Allen (Gotham Central), recently murdered, is being examined. But wait? It's the SPECTRE! And looks like he has himself a new host! HOLY SHIT #2! That's the last thing I expected, as I was so sure they'd go with Ted Kord. This is MUCH more interesting and I credit DC on a major swerve.-Superboy Prime's holding his own against everyone and their mother at this point...until he inadvertantly kills Pantha. With blood now on his hands, Prime flips out and starts killing people like crazy. Wildebeest? Toast. Red Star? On ice (literally). And really, the deaths are way too hard to keep up with at this point, but then...-The Flashes, yes ALL THREE OF THEM (Jay Garrick, Wally West, and Bart Allen), try to stop Superboy Prime by planting him in the Speed Force. Garrick can't keep up and falls. Wally then gets taken into Parts Unknown, but when he tries to say goodbye to Linda and the twins, she takes the babies and goes along for the ride! It's down to Bart, but Prime's smirking at this point and taunts him. Bart snaps and tells Prime he isn't stupid, but he's also got some help in the form of the third "Holy Shit!" moment of this issue, BARRY FUCKIN' ALLEN! And he's also got Max Mercury and Johnny Quick at his side! Bart runs faster and faster until finally, everything explodes, leaving only Jay Garrick to deliver the ominous news that the Speed Force is gone!-The OMAC's get new orders. This time they hover over Alexander Luthor's tower. Psycho Pirate tries to taunt Black Adam, but Adam's totally baiting him. One "Shazam!" later and the tower and a whole lot of OMAC's are taken out!-Alexander Luthor finally completes his mission. With everything set up, he puts his plan into action. And when the smoke all clears, the denizens of Earth-2 that were integrated into Earth-1 all disappear. The issue ends with two Earth's. Earth-2 Superman is in Metropolis, looks up at the Daily Star, and declares to his Lois, "We're home."

I learned something today. A comic book STILL has the power to make me mark out like a six-year-old. What an issue. WHAT AN ISSUE! What's the fallout from all this? Who knows at this point, but mark my words: Infinite Crisis #4 made STARS out of Nightwing and Kid Flash! If they aren't in the next incarnation of the JLA, I'll be shocked!

You beat me to making a thread by a couple of seconds. And you're right, marking out like a six year old is DEFINITLY the way I would describe it.

I can't begin to explain how awesome the issue was.

- It's official; Geoff Johns knows Batman. Just a marvelous job this issue as Batman is becoming the man who he should be. And it means what I said before in another thread is true; he does care about his family. And this better be the year for Nightwing. "The best". Simply awesome.

- Superboy vs Superboy was WICKED. Superboy Prime went CRAZY CRAZY and dished out mad hurt. I loved it when Conner called out for the Titans. Also of note; Garth was the one who said "TITAN'S TOGETHER". Stepping up in the absense of Cyborg, who IMHO should take the step up to the JLA. Man that Superboy Prime is nuts. He seems like a little kid in so many ways, I love his character. His interaction with KYRPTO THE SUPERDOG was even wicked cool. "I'm going to be Superman someday!". Brilliant.

- The whole plot was explained and explained WELL. ESPECIALLY with the Spectre. We all knew someone was manipulating him. Turns out it was to be the work of the Pirate. Alex Luthor is a creppy guy, and it's certianly feasible how he manged to make it all work together.

- Only for a page, but man it was great to see BOOSTER GOLD and the "e-bay reject" Skeets.

- The creepy creepy oversized Alex Luthor pulling apart the universes screaming "it will be undone!". Then the JSA dissapear, no doubt being transported to the new Earth-2. But Alex Luthor isn't done yet. What's next? WHO'S next?

"Well right now you're a kid. And you're in the MOTHERF___ING SPEEDFORCE, BITCH!".- Me.

Make no mistake; Geoff John's run on the Flash got me into comics. Wally West is a great character, developed huge. Him willing to make the scrafice, just as Barry did, fits the Flash legacy. But his wife....just a touching and powerful scene.

Oh yeah, and what good would a crisis be without BARRY MOTHERF____ING ALLEN showing up? Absolutly seven shades of awesome. ALL of the Flash characters were treated EXCEPTIONAL and was my favorite part of the issue (along with Batman). And could this be the passing of the torch to Bart?

Overall, incredible issue. Oh, and guess what's up for number five? BOOSTER GOLD. BATMAN. HAL MOTHERF___ING F___ING JORDAN. Batman and the two guys who he's had MAJOR beefs with in the past. One man looking to undo his work and regain trust in humanity. One man whose looking for respect and to honour a fallen comrade, and one who wants to do both of those things. Batman doesn't trust either of these to (hal for personality conflicts plus the whole Parralax dlea, Booster Gold because he think he's unrealiable and second rate), but he'll have to in order to SAVE THE WORLD. And they all be teaming up to take on Brother Eye. MADLY AWESOME. BAT F___ING MAN. BOOSTER F____ING GOLD. AND HAL MOTHERF____ING F___ING JORDAN. It keeps on getting better and better.

I've never been a comic reader...outside of the occasional Archie comic, the only comics I've read were the Death and Return of Superman series, and the Death in the Family series. However, after reading the past spoilers, I can't help but be intrigued.

Would any comic store still have Infinite Crisis 1 through 3 on sale? Were they hot sellers?

Thanks, I'm a definite n00b to the comic world, but you can colour me very interested.

Oliver, you picked a great time to start. Three and Four should be easily availible. One and two might take a bit of work. If you're like me and in Ottawa, no problem (we got quite a few comic stores). If you're in a small town, might be harder.

They were all six issues, and the sixth issue was out a couple of months ago. That'd be a problem right? WRONG. ALL are coming out in trade paperback either soon or have already been released. Trade paperback means that add osme nifty features like artist renderings and interviews (like DVD extras) and throws ALL SIX issues of the specific mini series into one tidy little book.

Also, the story which started it all, COUNTDOWN TO INFINITE CRISIS is included in the OMAC Project trade paperback.

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If you want to be completist and get the "who's who in InfC" get the following;

If you're really interested in this series, I'd have to suggest getting the CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS trade because you'll kinda be lost on who characters are, what the motivation is for their actions, and most importantly, Alexander Luthor's 'timeless' perm. (AHEM!)

Seriously, CRISIS is a must read before really getting into this series because the writers used it as a building block for everything that's happening in INFINITE CRISIS.

I know that the OMAC and DAY OF VENGEANCE tpb's are out, but I haven't seen the other two (RANN/THANGAR and VILLAINS UNITED) yet. OMAC also features parts of the most excellent SACRIFICE storyline, which will be getting it's own trade shortly.

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That said, as for the IC and Flashes... DAMN YOU DAN DIDIO!

Interesting to see just how 'important' Nightwing is in the DCU, but looking back on his career, he's pretty much worked with EVERYONE, and there's very few heroes OR villains that don't know and or respect him. Can't say as I ever really thought of him like that. This also explains why Chuck Dixon came back and did that nifty little NIGHTWING: YEAR ONE storyline, which tied him into every aspect of the DCU from Superman giving him the name to Boston Brand watching his back. The super-powerful and super-mystical all touched his life in some way and helped him become the man he is today. Cool!

Well, the new Spectre host was rather surprising. I kinda wonder if this falls into a Hank Hall/Captain Atom moment where they changed it at the last minute because we all knew/had already guessed that it was gonna be Ted Kord.

Originally posted by El NastioOnly for a page, but man it was great to see BOOSTER GOLD and the "e-bay reject" Skeets.

DUDE! What's the Skeets hate for, can you even remember the last time you saw him? I'm sure it was WAY BACK in his solo book, but I can probably dig out my JLI issues to be positive.

Black Adam... I've been saying for years that he's drastically underused, and I'm glad Geoff Johns agrees with me, from his time with the JSA to now, he's a total bad ass who I think would work wonderfully as a 'Punisher' type anti-hero. Give the man his due, damnit!

What an absolutely amazing issue. I used to be the biggest Marvel mark in the world, but between IC and the events that led up to it I'm now pretty much fully converted. Geoff Johns manages to cram more plot developments (and explain them in a way that makes sense) into each page of this comic than Bendis did in all of House of M combined.

But I am confused by one detail...from reading it, I got the sense that ALL of the Flashes (aside from Jay) were essentially gone along with the Speed Force. Even Bart. Did he survive off-panel and I missed it? And if not, does that mean that someone entirely new might be the next Flash (such as, perhaps, Hunter Zolomon)? That would be WILD.

Superboy Prime...now we know what really could happen if a Superman went nuts. Wow.

My favorite quote (so far unmentioned): "I have learned that no matter where they are, or what reality they come from, when a Luthor stands next to a Superman...they will ALWAYS be at odds."

Originally posted by Pizza PastaI am confused by one detail...from reading it, I got the sense that ALL of the Flashes (aside from Jay) were essentially gone along with the Speed Force. Even Bart. Did he survive off-panel and I missed it? And if not, does that mean that someone entirely new might be the next Flash (such as, perhaps, Hunter Zolomon)? That would be WILD.

You are correct, they are all gone.

One of the 'crazy' rumors that has been floating around for the past few months was that Jay Garrick would somehow become 'de-aged' and be the new Flash. This was dubbed 'crazy' because he has a wife and is pretty settled into his own part of the DCU, but I guess now it's not so crazy after all... even though we do still have a couple more issues to go, so I know I'm holding my breath till the next issue.

I was out of town for the past few weeks and only got to get the latest installment yesterday. Wow. Had to go back and read it again immediately. Been awhile since a comic caused a small dustorm in the house, but the exchange between Batman and Nightwing sure did. Everyone who was worked on this book and the prequel stuff should be applauded. Just some of the best comic-book storytelling I've seen in a loooong time.

I grew up a Marvel Zombie and only got into DC thru the X-Men/Teen Titans crossover and began my journey into the DCU thru Titans (right after the "Judas Contract" and then Crisis. That got me into Legion of Super-Heroes, etc. etc. etc. and twenty years later, I can barely pick up Marvel books because DC has such a hold on my wallet.

Can't wait for next issue and am looking forward to the One Year Later jump too.